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arxiv: 2508.12760 · v1 · submitted 2025-08-18 · ✦ hep-th

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Infinite-dimensional symmetries in plane wave spacetimes

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keywords infinite-dimensionallimitpenroseplanesymmetrieswavealgebraallowing
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We study the asymptotic symmetries of the Nappi-Witten spacetime in four dimensions, a plane wave arising as the Penrose limit of AdS$_2\times S^2$. Imposing suitable boundary conditions at large transverse distance, we uncover a new infinite-dimensional symmetry algebra allowing for non-trivial central extensions. The corresponding phase space encompasses the most general four-dimensional pp-wave metric, including in particular the Penrose limit of Kerr black holes.

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